Penelope Peplum

It's Me Made May 2016! What better time to start posting my creations again?

in March, I was at a St. Patrick's Day party where a small child was wearing the cutest little knit peplum top. The next day, I purchased the Penelope Peplum pattern by See Kate Sew and got to work creating my own using some leftover knit fabric I had.



I wore it on a day trip to DC with my friend Beryl, who snapped these pictures for me. This top was a super easy make, it's extremely comfortable, and I think the peplum is flattering for people with bigger hips, such as myself. I don't quite remember if this is the bicep or half sleeve version - it looks like bicep length, but my traced pattern piece is for half sleeve. Either way, I love it!

Pattern: See Kate Sew's Penelope Peplum 

Fabric: Plumage Knit in apricot from Bonnie Christine's 'Winged' collection

Size: Large

Adjustments: Added 2" to bodice length

Tilly and the Buttons Coco Dress

How often does it happen to you that you see a garment pattern and feel ambivalent about it, until you see it on someone and immediately you change your mind?

The Coco Dress was one of those patterns.  Not that I didn't like the look of it - I thought it was adorable - but I didn't think it would work well on me.  Until I saw it on Lisa at the Finch Makers Retreat.  The fabric she used (Gust of Leaves in silver from April Rhodes' Wanderer collection) and the way she styled it was perfect.  So I copied her.  Obviously I'll have to coordinate with Lisa whenever I wear it to Finch events, but it's a small price to pay for a versatile, comfy dress.

It's kind of similar to the Moneta Dress in both look and construction, however the Coco has a less defined waist.  This is part of the reason why I didn't think it would work on me, however when Lisa styled hers with a belt, it was a duh moment for me.

The construction was simple, and Tilly's pattern was easy to follow.  The dress came together quickly the other evening after I had spent the night before tracing and cutting.  When I traced the pattern, I used the slice and spread method to add two inches to the length of the dress.  The original length would have been fine as a tunic but way too short for a dress, at least for a 31-year-old.  (Keep in mind though, I'm 5'10", so for a lot of you reading this, the pattern as it is will probably be perfect no matter what your age.)

The only other part that I changed was making the 3/4 sleeves a little shorter so that they are half sleeves.  I've come to learn that 3/4 sleeves are not flattering for me, but half sleeves are.  Funny how just that little alteration can really change the way a top looks.

As you can see in my awkward pictures below where I pretend that I know how to pose like those fashion bloggers do, I styled my dress with jeggings and boots, a belt, and a cardigan.  As it gets warmer this spring, I'll be able to wear it with sandals for a totally different look.  Also I apologize for my ratty looking hair.  It gets cut tomorrow!

Pattern: Tilly and the Buttons Coco

Version: Dress

Size: 5 (oh sweet baby Ray's, this doesn't mean I'm an actual size 5 - it's just the 5th size on the chart)

Fabric: April Rhodes Gust of Leaves in silver knit

Alterations: Shortened sleeves from 3/4 to half sleeve; lengthened (slice and spread) dress by two inches.

Photos of me by Beryl Young; Photos of the coffee shop by me

Holiday Knitting

Winter Warmer Ear Warmer

I think this is the first year that I really feel that I am on the ball when it comes to holiday knitting.  I started this summer and have already knit several gifts for people, and have even had time to make myself a few items.

Knitting doesn't seem to come naturally during the warmer months, but now that October is here and the leaves are changing and nights are getting colder, the season and knitting just go hand in hand.  I want to knit ALL the things.  But realistically, how many mittens do I need?  I've only got one head, so I certainly don't need more hats.  And while cowls are easy to change up day to day, I've really only got so much room to store them, so I think my self-knitting needs to cool it for now.

But the thing is I just love knitting.  It's so nice to plop on the couch after a long day of working and just get into a pattern.  I love shopping for the perfect color of yarn.  I love the feeling of finishing a project and admiring it.  Making something beautiful and useful out of what was previously just a ball of yarn.

So, my dear friends, help me help you.  Help ME help YOU.  I want to knit for you.  Everyone knows handmade items are way better than some cheap 'made in China' item that your recipient could have easily bought themselves.  Most people I know love items that are unique.  One of a kind.

Need some ideas?  I think your mom wants a pair of boot cuffs.  Your best friend could probably use a nice cuddly cowl.  And your pregnant sister would probably squeal over a tiny little baby hat.

Vivionne Bay Hat

I'll be posting some items in my Etsy shop in the next few weeks, but in the meantime, I'll be listing below some of the items you will be able to order.  Prices will vary based on the yarn I use (if you know yarn, just think Madelinetosh vs Quince and Co - both very lovely, but certainly at different price points), but know that I will only be knitting with quality yarn made of natural fibers.  I do not knit with acrylic yarns.

So let's do this!  Email me with any questions or requests.  If you comment below, I will try my best to respond, but email will be the best option.  Please note that two specific patterns, the heart hat and the one-skein boot toppers, will not be available for sale as I am currently teaching both of those classes at Finch.  If you'd like to learn how to make either of those, please come out and join us!

Merry and Bright Ear Warmer

CURRENT LIST

Everything is made to order unless otherwise stated.

Ear Warmers
Merry and Bright: $20 adult
Winter Warmer: $18 adult // $14 child 1 available!

Hats
Vivionne Bay Hat: $18 child 1 available! // *will not be making anymore*
Squishy Baby Hat: $20 baby
Autumn Hat: $37 adult // $25 child
Vermonter Hat: $35 adult

Boot Cuffs
Andover Boot Cuffs: $20 adult

Cowls/Infinity Scarves
Gap-tastic Cowl: $50 adult
Snow Day Cowl: $50 adult

More photos to come!

Anthropologie Inspired Capelet

At the start of August, I had the brilliant idea of making my "fairy Godmother" the Anthropologie-Inspired Capelet for her birthday gift.  I had nearly the entire month to make it, and given the gauge and yarn it called for, I knew I'd finish in time.

And I did, only the first one I made was tiny.  Like, practically child-sized.  So back to Finch I went to get more yarn for part two, because at this point I had about a week and a half to make it.

Lynn's birthday was on Saturday - by the Tuesday prior, I had begun the final ribbing stage when I ran out of yarn.  And not only that, but I had bought the last two skeins from Finch.  So I started searching for yarn shops who carried this yarn.  Called to no avail, so I then began looking for shops in New Jersey.  See, we were headed on vacation to the Jersey Shore with my lovely giftee, so not only would I need to track down yarn on my way there, but also finish the knitting without her noticing.

That's when I first learned of Home Made, the shop I raved about in my last post.  She had the yarn (Blue Sky Alpacas Worsted) in the color (Mulberry), so I bought a skein and made it to the house.

I worked feverishly Friday night and throughout parts of the day on Saturday, finishing just before Lynn's birthday dinner out.  After dinner I packaged up the capelet and brought the gift upstairs with the others.  Whew.

I think it turned out well, although for the sake of these photos, it looks a little lumpy since it wasn't blocked.  

Pattern: Anthropologie Inspired Capelet
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas Worsted Hand Dyes

Color: Mulberry

Alterations: Cast on 63

Speedy Cowl

The air is crisper, the nights are longer... it's that time of year again: knitting season.

Although, there are some of us who don't mind knitting year-round.  As a matter of fact, I started knitting this cowl while I was on vacation down the Jersey Shore, looking from the second floor balcony right onto the beach.  Knit, knit, knit, crash, crash, crash (those are waves).

I came across this adorable shop prior to my trip - Home Made - because they had a specific yarn in a specific color that I was out of and couldn't find locally (more on that debacle in the knit capelet post).  We stopped in on our way to the shore to pick up that yarn, and because it was just a five or ten minute drive from the house we were renting, I went back later that week to look around longer.

While browsing the shop - which bears a similar resemblance to Finch - I spotted this beautifully bright hot pink striped cowl.  It's called the Speedy Cowl, and despite the name, it's not a quick knit.  It is, however, an easy knit - linen stitch all the way.  I bought the exact yarn used in the sample because how could I pass up this pink?!.  

I love the look of the linen stitch.  It's a bit more time consuming (in the same way seed stitch can be), but it's simple to do.  This project can (and was) easily done while watching TV, listening to your favorite podcast, or with your morning cup of tea.  Apparently, the linen stitch is reversible, but I prefer the "right" side of it.

You'll notice that my two outer pink rows are not equal.  Oops.  Also, I need to get the hang of this blocking thing.  I tried steaming with the iron, but I ended up with a still lumpy cowl that smelled like wet dog.  Or wet sheep.  So I hand washed it in my bathroom sink, and the entire bathroom now smells like an Irish farm on a rainy day.  I can't wait for this thing to dry...

Pattern: Speedy Cowl

Yarn: Manos del Uruguay Maxima: 2 sk. Natural, 1 sk. Shocking

(I only needed to knit a few rows using the second skein of Natural)

DIY Knit Maxi

It seems like every time I am in Finch, someone else is either making or wearing a knit maxi skirt.  It's about time I finally decided to whip up my own.  And whip up, I did.  This was so quick to make, I feel like I need to go crazy before summer is out and make a handful more.

This project was self-drafted, meaning it didn't come from a pattern and instead used my own measurements.  If you're local to NoVA,  you should consider taking Nicole's class and she'll guide you through making your very own maxi skirt.  Her version features a wonderful folded yoga-style waistband which comfortably stretches to fit your belly, no matter how many ice cream cones you've eaten lately (guilty).

I used two and a half yards of this striped knit that had been hanging around the shop for awhile, and since I hadn't seen anything made from it yet, I felt bad for it. Far from being just fabric sympathy, I'd actually thought this fabric had a very beachy quality to it. (And evidently people had been buying it since I finished off the bolt.)

Simple to cut and simple to sew.  That's my kind of summer project.

Pattern: None; self drafted at Finch Sewing Studio.

Size: Made to size.

Alterations: None; custom made.

Photo credit: My husband.  ("Okay, now crouch down with me and come closer.  Frame me from here to here..." - the troubles he has when his wife is both the subject and a professional photographer.)

Moneta Sleeveless

Second Moneta is done.  

After work Tuesday night, I spread out my Swedish tracing paper (thanks, Nicole!) and traced the pattern pieces while watching a documentary about the infamous escape from Alcatraz (nerd alert).  Wednesday morning I had some time to sit and trace the pattern pieces onto my fabric and cut them out.  Come Wednesday night, I finished working around 8:30, and Jon had to work late as well, so I brought my machine downstairs and started stitching the bodice together.  Thursday morning, Moneta #2 was complete and I was a happy girl.  

Her debut was Friday night at the Finch for Friday Night Sewcial, and little miss Moneta and I received tons of compliments.  As flattered as I am, let's be honest kids - it really has less to do with my novice sewing skills and more to do with the beautiful dress pattern Sarai and her team at Colette Patterns have created, as well as the beautiful knit fabric Nicole helped me choose.  

Again, this pattern (and finished dress) gets a standing ovation from me.  So easy to make, and thanks to the knit fabric, so damn comfortable.  This lazy girl can get on board with knit dresses, let me tell you.  I'm not kidding when I say there will be more to come.  I might have to name my future child Moneta.  Oh, who am I kidding?  I can't be trusted with a child.

Stats:

Injury count: 1.  My arm had a run-in with the iron.

Broken needle count: 1.  I am down one jersey needle.

Because I spent all of my free time actually creating the dress, I didn't have much time left to actually get pictures of myself in it.  So this morning, Jon and I went up to Brunswick to get coffee before coming home to do big-kid stuff (i.e. yard work), and I tossed on my dress and grabbed my camera before we headed out the door.

Are you kidding me with this collar design?  Love!

Girl, you better WORK.  Sashay, shantay.

And a few other pictures of our morning:

Thanks to Jon for taking pictures of me. :)

Colette Moneta

I am relatively new to garment sewing, but oh, how I love Colette Patterns.  Not just the finished product, but the physical pattern packaging itself.

How cute is this?!

In the weeks leading up to Easter, Jon and I once again agreed that we didn't want candy-filled Easter baskets, and so one of my not-so-subtle hints was "oh, some fabric or yarn from Finch." Incidentally, that was his plan anyway, given that my one-track-mind is all about crafting these days.

He sought out Nicole's help to fill my basket with some sweet goodies, including the brand new Colette Moneta pattern and a beautiful chevron print cotton knit fabric.  Swoon!

So on Monday I got started.  Mind you, this was, I think, my first real garment pattern experience (not including the free sundress pattern I printed from the internet a few summers ago).  I got to work reading, cutting, tracing, cutting again, and then it was time to sew.
Just a few hours later I had completed the bodice and the skirt, minus the hemming and the elastic waistband; I'd have to wait until Tuesday to complete the dress after buying the rest of my supplies (a twin needle and clear elastic).

The rest of the dress didn't take long at all!  Colette's clear elastic tutorial helped me understand how in the world to shirr the waistline without using elastic thread, and then I quickly hemmed all of my edges with the twin needle.  Done!  Sure enough, despite having a little doubt that the dress would be long enough for my long torso, it fit like a glooooove.  I'm in love with this dress.

The super awesome part about the Moneta pattern is how versatile it is.  I made the short sleeve version, but there is also a 3/4 sleeve (which I plan to make very soon in stripes) and a sleeveless version with a myriad of collar options (free!).  The printed pattern is sold out right now on the Colette website, but you can always download the PDF version, or purchase a printed copy from a retailer like Finch.  It's a great beginner pattern, a perfect introduction to working with knits, and results in a seriously comfortable dress.  I plan on making a ton more, just because I can see myself whipping them up quickly and wearing them often.

A few more photos:

Testing... too bright!